General Discussion – Week of March 18. Brad Projects a Roster

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Yeah, I’ll give it a go. Good a place as any to discuss it:

Starters – Cole, Roy, Cliff, KK and Lannan (Cloyd #6 in AAA, at least until June or so when Pettibone could overtake him – Cook and Lopez start in AAA with Cook #7 for now – both are emergency/expendible guys if they need one start before Pettibone is ready).

Relievers – Pap, Adams, Bastardo, Valdes, Durbin, Aumont, Stutes (Horst to AAA, tough luck for him)

Catchers – Kratz, Quintero, (Ruiz is suspended, and Valle is the emergency guy IMO for the first 25 days – not going to start the clock on Joseph, and they don’t have a roster spot to burn once they add Quintero, unless they waive someone like Robles or Savery)

Infield – RyHo, Chase, JRoll, MYoung, Frandsen, Yuni (if they can’t move him and find him a 40-man roster spot, [Robles/Savery again], Galvis if they can move him)

Outfielders – Dom, Revere, Mayberry, Nix, Inciarte (Jermaine Mitchell just isn’t quite enough and Pete Orr is Pete Orr)

DL – Delmon

What say all of you?

208 thoughts on “General Discussion – Week of March 18. Brad Projects a Roster”

  1. Galvis has the team made, over Betancourt. The last spot, while D Young is on the DL, has to bat left handed because Nix will be starting and they’ll need someone to pinch hit who is LH. That means it will come down to Orr or J Mitchell. I’d bet Orr but favor Mitchell. In the pen, I think Aumont will get sent down and I think Horst will stick around. The emergency catcher will be a guy like Lerud or Soumi, not Joseph or Valle.

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    1. I’m not seeing roster spots for another catcher. When I say emergency, I’m talking three or four days, not 3 weeks, i.e. Kratz jams a finger or something and won’t go o the DL.

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    1. Your boy Mike Cisco was ‘traded’ for a national comedy of a move, for zilch. RAJ out did himself this time. Not even ‘future consdieration’. As reported, maybe Ruben is becoming a nihilist!

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      1. He was probably about to release Cisco and instead found someone to take him above all of the other options on the market. He got a family member a job, (you may recall Mike’s grandfather Galen was a pitching coach for the Phils a while back). Hard to argue against helping a guy out instead of tossing him got the curb.

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        1. Ridiculous. He should of been part of the package for Giancarlo Stanton. Rube messed up again!!!111

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        2. Brad, thanks for your informative post as I was initially confused by this move but also realized that his grandfather worked for the Phillies. This move as unusual as it is makes sense now.

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        3. Do not disagree with the Cisco move to help him progress to MLB….but policorr thing to say, would be for at least ‘future consideration’ and then let it die out over time. Putting it out there for ‘nothing’ makes it look rather ridiculous. Maybe I am wrong, but heck, at least Dickie Noles was traded for himself at one time?

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  3. Agreed with Murray on most points.
    – Lerud/Suomi will be emergency catcher, they will want Valle to still play everyday – but they won’t be rostered – just held in AAA. It will be Kratz/Quintero until Ruiz comes back, then Quintero will be released/DFAed.
    – There is almost no chance Horst goes to AAA – he will make the team if anyone goes down it will be Stutes. It all depends on whether they decide they’d rather have an extra arm versus a 5 OF.
    – Yuni doesn’t make the team over Galvis – he will be released – Galvis is basically a sure thing to make the squad.
    – Inciarte doesn’t make the team unless they decide to send down Stutes and keep him. Otherwise he’s offered back/returned/traded for.

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    1. FTR, I do think Yuni will be traded this week. If he’s not, he’ll be released or on the opening day roster. Contract says he has to know by Monday of he’ll be on the 25-man, and if not, he can (and would) walk.

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        1. Which is why the Phils might be able to keep him and trade him to whoever next needs him. Could be three weeks down the road or at the deadline or whenever, but he has some perceived value for whatever reason, and he’s been hitting some, so it’s not fading, despite his weak defense.

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  4. I’ve flipped a couple times on Yunieski Betancourt, but seeing that other teams are interested in him, I see no downside in the Phillies keeping him on the roster. Galvis isn’t a difference maker, so it doesn’t hurt to have him develope his bat more in AAA, until someone offers something of value for Betencourt. It makes zero sense to cut Betancourt while he has any value.

    I do not see a team that considers itself a playoff contender, hiding a single A outfielder on it’s 25 man roster. This is the national league, and you must have LH pinch hitters available. Someone posted that Inciarte could be a defensive replacement/pinch runner as the 5th OF. National League teams don’t do that during the season until rosters expand in September. They either offer Inciarte back or they trade something for him. He shouldn’t make the team. The 5th OF spot should go to Pete Orr, or Jermaine Mitchell. My guess is Pete Orr gets the spot because he hit RH pitching last year.

    Regarding the bullpen, I see Horst, Valdes and Aumont making the team. Stutes back to AAA, to prove himself.

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    1. Agree on Inciarte, for what seems is the 3rd or 4th day in a row. I like him, but want him in Reading for the development factor, and maybe in 2015 vying for CF with Revere.

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    2. Agree that Inciarte shouldn’t be kept on the roster at the expense of someone who can help the team, but you’d rather have Pete Orr? Orr is the definition of the defense/baserunner reserve you don’t want. He had an unusally BABIP in an extremely small sample last year, but he has a long track record of not hitting. His infield defense doesn’t really help because if Galvis makes the club. I’d rather they keep Mitchell or Inciarte while Young is on the DL.

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      1. The short version of what I’ve said before: I expect Pete Orr and/or Jermaine Mitchell to be BARELY useful (like most 25th men). But I expect Inciarte to be LESS than useless, as a major league player in 2013. But that doesn’t mean Inciarte wouldn’t be an asset to your Minor league inventory.

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    3. Contender or not, the Phils have a recent history of keeping rule 5 guys. And in fact, a recent history of keeping rule 5 guys over Pete Orr.

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        1. Ok, just that one guy over Orr. Mini Mart was a utility guy with more utility than Orr, in that he “played” CF and SS, in addition to second and third an corner OF.

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      2. Yes, seriously, this. They found a roster spot for Michael Martinez for an entire year of a 101 win season, for god’s sake. They won’t definitely keep Inciarte, but it would be foolish to bet against it.

        Ugh, Mini-Mart.

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        1. There is a big difference. Martinez is a shortstop. Inciarte is an OF. On a team that has 3 solid starting OFs, Inciarte being hidden on the bench is not problematic. On a team that only has one other LH bat on the bench, its a problem.
          Assuming Lance Nix is in a platoon with Mayberry. When Nix starts, who is your LH pinch hitter?

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          1. Inciarte. For a couple weeks until Young is back and Nix is on the bench forever. And then they do something with Inciarte.

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            1. ‘And then they do something with Inciarte’, yes…offer him back or make a trade for him.

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            1. You are right. Pete Orr isn’t a good option for LH pinch hitter. But he is a better option than sending an A ball hitter up.
              I don’t really understand how this is an argument.

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  5. Torn on Galvis. Regular at bats at LV would certainly help his development. But I sure would like his glove as a utility sort of guy, given Young’s age and lack of range and Utley’s injury history. Not to mention J-Roll needs a rest every now and then. Just not sold on Betancourt, although he’s looked okay from what I’m reading. I guess there are worse problems to have though.

    I think the depth in the BP makes the decision on Stutes or Horst tough, but again, not a bad problem to have.

    Starting to get worried about Doc, diminished velocity again and a bad start followed by leaving after one inning for illness. A little worrisome given last year.

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    1. You can almost see the Phillies putting Morgan on fast track due to uncertainty of Halladay. Being in healthcare field…something tells me there is cardiac involvement with Doc. He has had several instances of looking very flushed and fatigued over past year. I don’t know what is standard routine for physicals but I would put Doc thru stress test and echo just to be sure.

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        1. I hope they read the comments here. Where else could they could they turn for advice from someone in the health care field?

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          1. I actually work in the health care field as well (at least I do technically even though I don’t actually get anywhere close to patients) and I think he’s healthy as a horse. My internet diagnosis is bad gas station Sushi…

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      2. I’m not a doctor so maybe my response to this will be ignorant, but have you ever seen Halladay workout? He takes cardio to a level like none other, so if he had an issue with his heart wouldn’t it surface at that point in time?

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      3. This is an interesting point. Even in his dominant seasons, he had a few odd instances in which he completely melted down, particularly on hot days. Although I was in Clearwater yesterday and it was anything but uncomfortable: 70s and breezy.

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        1. It is entirely reasonable that he was developing a viral prodrome 2 starts ago- they can start a number of days before the full-fledged viral syndrome with fatigue, achiness and general lethargy. His recent start was clearly a full manifestation of a virus. Think of the times that all of us have had bad stomach viruses- could any of us perform at peak physical prowess while trying to avoid vomiting on the mound? Let’s give him at least another start prior to concluding that there is something more seriously wrong, especially since he was doing reasonably well prior to that.

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      4. Roy was a state champion in cross country in Colorado awhile back but agree something was not right this week..

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  6. In today’s AAA game Cesar Hernandez had a single and a walk, Asche had 2 singles, and Joseph an infield single. DeFratus gave up a single and a walk and got a K but no runs while Diekman had a 123 inning with a K. At AA Althere had a single in 4 ABs, Rupp a single in 2 ABs, Franco no hits and Collier ripped a triple into a stiff wind that probably kept it in the park. Quinn DHed today I missed his first 2 ABs but saw him K looking and hit a hard grounder to 1st. Kyle Simon went 2 innings giving up 2 singles, 3 Ks and no runs. Gillies was caught stealing twice and had one stolen base.

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    2. First time I’ve even heard Altherr’s name in a game write-up (this year). I was getting worried.

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  7. Agreed with everything except Horst makes it over Stutes.

    and anyone who thinks Aumont gets sent down is nuts. He will play a significant role with this team

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    1. I just don’t see them keeping three lefties when none of them is in a regular eighth or ninth inning role. Horst was great last year and has been good enough this spring, but Valdes has been better. Maybe they will carry three.

      Agreed on Aumont. He’s pretty much a lock at this point, unless they really want a long man and don’t think Stutes can go two innings but somehow like him more than Aumont. Lots of ifs, there.

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      1. I believe keeping three lefties is an option because I think they view Valdes as the long man. With Papelbon and Adams taking the 8th and 9th most nights, that leaves 4 relievers for the middle innings, and having 2 lefties and 2 righties in those roles makes sense if those are the best 7 relievers.

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  9. Other than the Phillies knack for keeping Rule5 guys, I do not see what Inciarte brings since he’d be the primary LH PH. His speed and defense are similar to Gillies and J.James.
    However, I doubt that Orr or J. Mitchell would be much better as PH.
    Orr’s value is that he can play middle infield, can run, and is replacement level LH hitter. That is a useful 25th man but not a primary LH PH. To keep him might make more sense if the bench was Quinterio, Frandsen, Mayberry, Orr, and LH PH (like Stairs or Thome). Orr’d ride the bench until desparately needed and then could fill in at any position.
    That may still happen as other teams make final roster cuts. I’d still like to see Galvis in the minors to start the season to get some full time hitting. If Rollins is actually out more 2 days then call him up. But the age of the infield (and M.Young’s poor fielding) means a good fielding replacement would be quite nice to have around and I do not think that Frandsen or Orr provide that.

    The second the Phillies get an offer for Bentancourt they should take it. He might actually be worse than Delmon Young.
    And if Delmon Young has any part of a good year the Phillies should try to trade him as well. So I will cringe when his 3 year extension is announced before the end of the season.

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  10. For the outfield, the debate over the 5th spot out of camp is probably not that important since D Young will be ready not long after the season begins, and the team certainly hopes a month or two into the season Ruf is hitting well in AAA and his defense becomes acceptable, and he is an option for the big club. Because the 5th OF out of camp isn’t likely to stick for long, I expect them to keep Inciarte to have more time to make a trade to keep him, or for him to “pull a hamstring” and go on the DL.

    As for the infield, if Young, Rollins, and Utley are going to play every day (which is Charlie’s standard operating procedure – he says they need days off to stay fresh but then plays them every day), there is no point to keep Galvis from developing by hardly ever playing him except as a late inning defender. If Utley gets a day off per week, and Rollins the same, and Young the same, I’d keep him on the roster.

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  11. Starters: Hamels. Halladay, Lee, Kendrick, Lannan
    (Cook and Cloyd as the reserves)

    Bullpen: Papelbon, Adams, Bastardo, Durbin, Horst, Valdes, and Aumont
    (with Aumont splitting time in the 7th with Bastardo and Durbin and Valdes being the long men)

    Opening Day Line Up:
    Revere
    Rollins
    Utley
    Howard
    Young
    Brown
    Nix
    Kratz

    Bench: Mayberry, Inciarte, Fransden, Galvis, Quinterro

    … i could see Orr making the team over Inciarte if they’re able to get a deal done with the Diamondbacks for him, especially since they’ve been putting him in the outield lately.

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  12. It actually wouldn’t surprise me if the 25th man is not on the team right now. The Phils could easily make a low level move to trade for a left handed pinch hitter which they’ll need when Nix is starting. The reports on D Young are that he might not be ready until May. Maybe he has Bynum’s doctor…

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    1. 1. Agree, Murray. If Aces35 bench or something like it is correct, and either Mayberry or Fransden struggle early, there is NO threat off the bench. If an older masher is cut, bring him in to be Matt Stairs or Downtown Ollie Brown.

      2. I would love to see Galvis on the team and get 6-8 starts a month, resting all the infield guys. But Charlie will likely not do that in April. I would not mind Galvis going down for one month to get regular ABs and fine tune his bat while they figure out what to do with Betancourt.

      3. I think Horst has the team made. Let Aumont PROVE CONSISTENCY in April at LV in games that count.

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  13. What more does Aumont need to do consistently? He held hitters to an average below .200 last year and had a sub 4 ERA. In spring training his WHIP is 1.000 and has only given up 1 run in 4 innings. (he did walk two to lead off the inning his last outing than settle down and got out of it)
    He is done in AAA. His stuff is filthy and he needs to be in the majors. Stutes needs to build his arm back up and come back slowly from pretty much an off year last year. If anything, Diekman is the one who needs to be consistent. (which I’m not sure he ever will. I’d actually trade him while his value is high) The only question, to me, is Valdez or Cook. I actually like Cook but Valdez has earned a spot and can pitch multiple innings. There should be no questions, the bullpen will be Papplebon, Adams, Bastardo, Horst, Valdez, Durbin and Aumont.

    Stutes
    Diekmen
    De Fratus
    Rosenberg

    all provide some very nice bullpen depth

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    1. I’d love nothing more than to see Aumont thrive in a late inning role. That said, in my own observation of his last two appearances, he looked far from commanding. In addition to walking the first two guys on Sunday, he was wild in his previous appearance, throwing a wild pitch if I recall correctly. In general, he looked like he was all over the place.

      It may be that his stuff is so good when it’s on that the Phillies keep him in the hope that he gets his command issues ironed out. But I’d be highly nervous putting him into high leverage situations right now.

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      1. Aumont won’t be pitching in high leverage situations early on. In the bullpen pecking order, he’s behind Papelbon, Adams, and Durbin.

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          1. I agree that he’s eventually likely to be better than Durbin. Right now, Durbin wins based on reliability. I did forget about Bastardo who’s also ahead of Aumont based on past history.

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        2. I would pitch Bastardo (Bastardo’s K rate and opponent BAA are nothing to sneeze at) later in games than Aumont, as well, right now. Aumont has filthy stuff, but he has shown an ability to get out of whack some games, and respond poorly when it happens. He would be in my bullpen, and start in the low leverage situations and then get his spots to replace Durbin as the season progresses. But I could certainly envision Charlie and Dubee reacting negatively if Aumont blows up in a coming ST game (or early season game). And his blow-ups usually start like the one described above by Andrew… (11 straight balls, HBP, single, etc.). Let’s hope he can respond like he did there, moving forward (i.e. two strikeouts and a ground out).

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  14. I don’t get all this new found love for Aumont…. I get he was the 11th pick in the first round a few years ago. But its not like we traded Cliff Lee for him. Is it??????? Oh wait we did.

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      1. I see what you did there.
        Yeah, I don’t get into that simple minded, Keith Law hate. He has a lot of points that I agree with, and some in which I disagree. He is just like any other knowledgeable analyst.

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        1. I did research on prospect rankings over the years with the goal of writing an article but it just didn’t come together, and I don’t get the Law hate. When it comes to ranking Phillies prospects in general it goes Sickels, Law, BA, BP in terms of optimism.

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          1. I think part of the disconnect with Law is his delivery. People don’t like other people who come of as obnoxious. I just look at it as his shtick. Sickels is much more humble in his presentation.
            The other thing that I think is a disconnect, is his preference for loud tools, and his stated indifference for any college player who hasn’t reached AA and dominated by age 23. It’s hard to quantify and recognize tools if you are not a professional scout. So you have to take his word that the guy has major league tools, it is difficult to do, when he’s coming off as arrogant.

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            1. I agree with you on Law’s delivery. I bet there are a disproportionate number of fan bases who think he hates their team.

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    2. I am curious, was that listing on Dom Brown by Mr Law done before March 1st or yesterday after Domo’s 5th HR and BA flirting with .400?

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      2. It has been in the works for a bit, Law had mentioned towards the beginning of Spring Training wanting to get more looks and opinions before saying whether this was a turn around or fluke. The consensus from talent evaluators and scouts is that the swing and other positioning is a marked change that should allow this to continue.

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        1. Been a busy day, so I just checked the box score – another HR. This is getting ridiculous. Yes, SSS (though confirmed by scouting observations), but the scary thing about Brown is that even the most optimistic projections assumed just mid range power. I’m not ready to project this yet, but I wouldn’t be too shocked at .295/.390/.550 – and in the current run scoring environment, for a decent fielding corner outfielder, that is a heck of a player, a borderline MVP candidate.

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          1. Not sure he’s a decent fielding corner OF (Law agrees that he’s significantly below average) and those numbers seem overly optimistic but I do expect Brown to have a solid season as the full-time LF in 2013 assuming he can stay healthy.

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            1. Something that I think gets overlooked about Brown through all this “it’s his time to sink or swim” type talk: he’s only 25. He could have a solid year this year, and still have room to get better in following seasons. Maybe Larry’s numbers would be overly optimistic for this year, but maybe not too much of a reach a couple years from now.

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            2. Although I would love to see Brown become a perennial all star and a building block for this team, I think we need to curb the expectations a little.

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            3. To put Brown’s age into perspective, both Utley and Howard were 26 the first year each was a full-time starter. I know both were college players and someone blocked position wide at the time (though we could also point to Brown’s injuries and misuse), but it goes to show that we could enjoy a number of very productive years from Mr. Brown

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            4. As for the fielding, he’s looked better this spring. IMO he can be average.

              As for being optimistic about the hitting, maybe. Certainly somewhat. But let’s make a few assumptions and see where they get us:

              10% BB rate (a tad lower than his career average)
              16% K rate (what he did in 2012; lower than his career rate, but IMO conservative despite that)
              career double and triple rates
              30 HR in 540 AB – this may be a bit of a stretch, but he has hit HR at almost double that rate this spring. Yes, I know, SSS.
              .310 BABIP – MUCH better than his career rate, but given (a) his new swing, (b) his minor league rate, and (c) the fact that it is only a tad above average, IMO this is quite achievable and even maybe conservative

              All that – and only the HRs are a bit of a stretch IMO – would yield a .299/.369/.542 line.

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            5. The question for me is whether he will be able to adjust as pitchers adjust to him. I think what excites me the most i based on the highlights I’ve seen this spring is that Brown seems to be hitting a variety of different pitches in a variety of different locations, with authority.

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            6. There were 4 outfielders who put up an OPS of over .900 in the majors last season. Don’t think Dom Brown is ready to match Braun, Trout, McCutchen, and Hamilton just yet but I certainly hope that he does.

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            7. The talent is there certainly. Brown playing to his potential will go a long way to having this team contend this year and beyond.

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    3. Batting .400 in the spring with 6 dingers……………………..really going out on a limb.

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  17. If you read about Dom Brown,you would realize the improvement is in part to his listening to the new hitting coach, and changing the positon of his hands, which has made his bat speed faster, the reason in some peoples opinion, was that brown had a long swing, and as mention before slower bat speed, now with the improve speed, and shorter stroke he is hitting like people thought he could, and another thing, its been posted that people think doc might have a heart problem. because he looks fatigued in some games. do you realize all these guys go through extensive physicals, dont you think they would see if something is wrong??

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    1. thats a good question – what does there annual physical include? I was more concerned about game last year (forget the team phillies were playing) where Doc presentation didn’t look right. It almost looked like he couldn’t get himself together and was perplexed by it. Last week could be attributed to virus and lets just hope he is fine. But just my medical observation (this is years working in ICU) is that there is under-lining issue holding Doc back because I just don’t see him as type of athlete that erodes that quickly. Just an opinion and nothing more.

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  19. So I was at the game yesterday (Monday) against the Braves and I got to catch some Batting Practice as well and I took some mental notes.

    BP: I missed some of it so I’ll just make a note of some guys that may be of interest

    Inciarte: He was getting some pretty solid contact with the bat and lots of line drives but he really does lack power. Furthest thing I saw him hit was about 10-15 feet shy of the warning track.

    Galvis: By far the worst batting practice that I saw. Rarely made good contact. He had a handful of pop ups that couldn’t have gone more than 150 feet.

    Pitching: Really there was nothing good to say about this game as far as pitching goes. Every single Phils pitcher gave up a run. I didn’t get to track pitches like I wanted to because I was sort of in a dangerous area where I had to always pay attention. I did however check up on fastball velocities. Murray topped out around 93 on the stadium gun and was pretty much 90-92. Stutes was throwing not quite as hard as I remember him throwing. He was pretty much 91-92 but I think he ran it up to 94 once or twice (I thought he used to be 93-95 although I guess he’s still recovering). Bastardo was hitting 94 consistently. Cook was 88-91.

    Hitters:

    Ruf: I think Ruf had a pair of hits. He looked ok at the plate. He laid of some decent offspeed stuff. As far as in the field he was a mixed bag. Made a strong throw home to beat the runner but Quintero dropped it. There was another play where he was heading back towards the wall and jumped at the warning track and the ball bounced out of his glove and over the wall for a homerun for Freeman.

    Brown: He had a great game at the plate. Couple singles and homer. The homerun was a pretty good shot that probably went 410-420 feet over the right center wall. Not much hit to him during the game.

    Betancourt: Made good line drive contact that led to 4 hits. Defensively he didn’t look too bad. I think he was part of a failed double play combo that the throw was a little late on a hop.

    That’s about it for the game. As a little bonus during BP Buster Olney was out by the third base line and he came over to talk to a few fans. The conversation turned towards Halladay and he didn’t seem too confident in Doc’s health and it sounded like he thinks we’ll get last year Doc and not Ace Doc.

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  20. From the latest blueclaws blog: Cozens, Joseph and Collier homered. Quinn played with Reading and went 2-2, BB, SB. They are going to be aggressive with that kid.

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    1. A big year from Quinn will help catapult the pharm’s rank too. Let’s hope RAJ doesn’t do something stupid like include him a deal for a crappy OF.

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    2. To be 19 and go from short season ball to AA camp and more than hold your own is beyond impressive. Crazy speed, excellent defensive tools (if not yet polished), really good plate discipline and a hit tool that I think could be elite. If he achieves the ceiling and develops even moderate power, that’s a franchise player. If he develops everything but the power, that’s still an all-star type player. Right now he seems, by far and away, to have the highest ceiling of all of our prospects. If I had to make a list of prospects that I think the Phillies (not me, the Phillies) view as essentially untouchable, it would be Quinn, Biddle, and Joseph; Aumont, Morgan and Franco are close, but I could see one or more of them being moved as key pieces in a trade for a star player, but otherwise, they are also not going to be traded.

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      2. Interesting. I tend to believe Morgan or Biddle, will be the main bargaining chip, at the trade deadline. A lot of LH pitching. Not all will be in the major league rotation.

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      3. To be untouchable to me someone needs to have superstar potential and proximity. No one in the system has that right now (Joseph and Biddle I would say have star not superstar potential). To put it another way I would trade any two of our top prospects for Stanton (I am not saying Miami would make that trade- far from it).

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  21. I like Asche; like his work ethic and think that might carry him beyond his pure skill level. With that said, I imagine every franchise has a Cody Asche equivalent and suggesting he is close to untouchable is not supported by anything he’s shown yet.

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    1. I think they like him a lot (as well they should) but, for example, if, at the trade deadline, the Rockies are struggling and the Phillies can work out a trade for Tulowitzki and the Rockies want Asche as part of the return package – he’s as good as gone.

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  22. The more I watch Utley play the more concerned I become about his true health. He looks good in the field and on the bases but I still don’t seeing him hitting off that front leg the way he used to. He looks very weak at that plate. Is anyone else seeing that? I think he’ll still hit and get on base without the power but wonder if he should be hitting 3.

    Which brings me to the Halladay question mark. I see in his future something like a 12-12 season. I see starts where the opposing team will get themselves out and I see starts where they won’t.

    It’s kind of tough to operate and see where this is all headed when two of your best players are still question marks and not under contract for the next season and your manager is also not under contract.

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    1. Honestly, watching Utley is showing me a player who is trying to get into game shape more than anything. Recognizing pitches, getting his mechanics down, things of that nature. He is running fine on the basepaths and in the field. To me, his ST is more of him getting ready for the long haul of the season.

      I think we need to see Halladay over his next two starts due to his sickness before proclaiming what his record could be. Again, if he can be a capable #3 on this team, that’s perfectly fine. Anything more than that is gravy.

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    2. Think it is rather clear to see where things are heading. Barring a post-season run, I expect this is Manual’s last season with the Phillies. They certainly appear to be grooming Sandberg for the job. Halladay is likely gone as well, especially if he struggles with velocity and injury.

      Utley will either prove to be healthy and able to manage his knee issues which will result in a 2-3 year deal to finish his career with the Phillies or he continues to have physical issues and will not back in 2014.

      The Phillies are in transition with their roster right now with a number of cornerstone players hitting the age wall. If they struggle out of the gate, don’t be shocked to see the team become major sellers in June/July.

      Like

      2. I hate to break this to you, but I expect the Phillies to be in this thing to the end. Their record might not be quite as good, but I think they will be more exciting to watch than in prior years because I expect they will score more runs, perhaps a lot more runs. This edition will be a little more like the 2006-09 teams that we knew and loved than the 2010-11 teams that dominated but were difficult to watch on offense. I don’t see anything close to a repeat of 2012 – not this year.

        Agree completely on Utley. The going rate for a top second baseman is around $12-15 million per year these days. If he is good (but not great) this year, I see Utley signing something like a 2-year $27 million contract with a third-year vesting option at around the same annual rate. If he plays, he will be more than worth the investment, even if he’s not close to being the same player he once was. I hope he can play this year and another 3 or 4 years. If he can put up a few 5 WAR seasons, he’s going to be a HOF candidate because, for a 5 year period, he was one of the great second basemen in the history of the game.

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        1. I hope they are in it until the end but if they start slow, its going to put Amaro in a tough spot because they need to get younger and improve the system. Riding it out with guys who might return value only to finish .500 and miss the playoffs is a loser all the way around.

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        2. Some of what you write here I agree with, other stuff seems surreal. The 2010 team was hard to watch on offense? That would be the team which was second in the NL in runs scored, missing the top spot by only 18 runs. The offense on the 2011 team was good enough for 100+ wins. I’ll take that any time. I really don’t expect this year’s ofense to be better than the offenses of 2010-11. You are selling yourself on a wishful thinking expectation which is highly unlikely to come true. About the only way the offense could be significantly better than 2010 is if we led the league in scoring by about 20 runs. That just isn’t happening.

          That said, I do agree that the Phillies can well be in contention at the trade deadline. Utley could be good to go for two or three more seasons. Equally likely, he could break down half way through this season. His injury woes have marred 3 seasons and it’s been the legs each time. Not good going forward.

          A lot depends on Halladay. This is now a problem covering a full calendar year for him. It doesn’t seem like the velocity is coming back. It is not unreasonable that he can use his guile and command to be an above .500 pitcher, especially if the offense is decent. Unlike you, I’d love to replicate the 2010 offense. If that happens, we are playoff bound.

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          1. Well, I stand corrected on 2010 in terms of runs scored – that was a mistake on my part. That said, I recall long, very ugly stretches of ineffectiveness in 2010 for the offense and I think they really feasted off bad pitching. But, sure, if they finish second in runs scored, we’ll probably make the playoffs even if Halladay is only okay.

            As for 2011, well, that team had the best starting pitching since the Braves of the 1990s – that’s the main reason they won. I think this team will be as good or better offensively than the 2011 team.

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            1. 2010 was the season the Phils were hitting the cover off the ball early (Werth in particular) before going into the tank for a veeeerrrrry long stretch in the late spring/early summer immediately after Billmeyer was caught using binoculars to watch the opposing pitcher from the bullpen (prompting cheating speculation).

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        3. unfortunately, and unlike our run in the late aughts, the Phillies play in a very good division, or at least a very top heavy division. The Phillies may be better than the 2012 iteration, especially if Brown keeps clicking, but the improvement will likely be marginal and we still don’t match up well with our competition.

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    3. He’s working very hard with his timeming and his load process. Apparently he worked in the cage for 40 minutes after the game Sunday which is pure Utley. No one will outwork him. He’s responded with a good week of hitting, a tribute to his work. He’s running around just fine and I think his range has even picked up a little, another testament to his feeling better. Halladay is a different situation. He is in the middle of transforming himself into a junk baller. The thing is he really knows how to pitch so if he’s not in pain, I think he can figure out how to get outs more often than not.

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          1. Yes, but some of those Phillies teams he pitched for were unbelievably bad. One year he had a 4.07 ERA and led the league in losses. Still, his ERA jumped a full point. It was quite a few years down the road before his ERA returned to the 3.s and 2.s again. If it take Roy a couple of years to learn how to pitch well without the fastball, that won’t be much help to us.

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  23. I don’t know why the Phillies won’t bring up Steven Lerud to back up Kratz instead of Quintero. Does it really matter if they use up options on Lerud, they have a stockpile of catchers in the system and I am sure Lerud is not in their future plans, so give him a shot for the 25 games that Ruiz is not there

    Like

    1. Salisbury mentioned this yesterday in a column. Dubee was quoted as saying they like a backup catcher who has good communication with pitchers. Doesn’t necessarily have to be an offensive catcher.

      Like

      1. KK was very complimentary of Lerud’s efforts yesterday. Since I could see the backup catcher being KK’s personal catcher, this might be a big story (for 25 games worth…).

        Like

      2. Let’s be frank, the back-up to Kratz is going to start 4 or 5 games at the most. They want someone who calls a good game, plays defense and can take his place at the plate without embarassment. The temporary back-up catcher is such a minor issue at this point.

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  24. Ben davis again on wip. not sold on brown, still thinks he will have trouble with good fastballs. but the writer,whos named i forget, said, that guys who have springs like brown ,tend to have good seasons, really thinks brown has turned the corner, topic of conversation was on lineup too. manuel doesnt want to bat utley, howard, brown, three left handers in row, feels it will cost games, when they are in a one run game and its late. other teams will throw leftys at them. i like revere, rollins, utley, howard young brown better, but just my opinion

    Like

    2. That looks fine, would bump young for ruiz and then put young behind brown when Chooch gets back.

      If you didn’t have L/R consideration I might suggest Revere, Brown, Utley, Howard, Rollins, Young. But 4 lefties in a row may be really pushing your luck, especially since the back of the lineup will all be RH. Brown is better suited for the top of a line up with his ability to draw a walk, take pitches, and speed (not the SB numbers predicted, but good baserunner), but hard to bump Utley down the lineup.

      Like

      1. heck i like that lineup too but even that lineup has a lefty problem as a situational lefty can come in for revere and since rollins is a switch just stay in and thereby get 4 batters with only one pitch-around. the problem isnt that we are lefty heavy its that all our hitter most suited for the top of the order are lefties.

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  25. Dallas McPherson was released by the Dodgers. He’s the kind of guy I could see the Phils adding for their 25th man until D Young is healthy enough to play. A left handed bat on the bench for the days when Nix starts. I’m still waiting to see if Giambi makes the Indians.

    Like

    1. The grass is always greener…

      Pete Orr and Jermaine Mitchell aren’t good enough to be the LH bat, off the bench. But McPherson, who hasn’t played in the majors for 2 years, and had a 37% strikeout rate in AAA the last 2 years, is a better option?

      Like

      1. He has power, that’s what is needed and what Charlie likes. I’m sure there are better options though.

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    2. What is the need for LH PH if Nix is playing? Only out of pitcher’s spot, otherwise the only RH bat in the line up is the catcher or third baseman. So you need a LH hitter who hits righties better than Frandsen, Galvis, Kratz, Mayberry, and D Young (or Inciarte). You just aren’t going to find that guy and have him provide enough value.

      Mayberry .232/.302/.379
      Frandsen .260/.332/.334
      Galvis (it is bad and small sample)
      Kratz .245/.300/.480
      Young .275/.307/.401 (only .247/.279/.370 in 2012)

      those aren’t good number, but are you really going to get a platoon advantage w/o sacrificing roster flexibility?

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      1. Not Young, once he’s playing this spot is gone. They need a leftie to fill Nix’ role when he’s starting while Young is out. They want a power bat if possible. They may just settle with Orr.

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  26. fwiw, Arizona traded away John McDonald. For a team that lacks IF depth, this is interesting. Betancourt could be an option, could that be enough to pry Inciarte away from Arizona if a lower level pitcher was thrown in?

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    1. They have Cliff Pennington, Didi Gregorious, Aaron Hill, Willie Bloomquist, and Martin Prado. They were deep up the middle and didn’t have a spot for McDonald, why would they want Betancourt?

      Like

    2. They may want pitching as you say. We have a surplus of relief arms that could suffice, or even a starter, someone in the Tyler Cloyd ilk.

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      1. I think a good player to offer Arizona as compensation for Inciarte is Tyler Knigge. He has a big enough fastball to have intriguing upside. He is in the high minors, so he isn’t too far away. He isn’t on the 40 man roster, so he doesn’t cause any roster issues and he has all of his options.
        For the Phillies, they get a player that is the equivalent to a top 15-25 talent, for a player that is a 35-45 talent in the system.
        Arizona gets a free player with options, as compensation, to allow the Phillids to have a player they couldn’t protect.

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        1. Reasonable idea. Of course, we don’t know if the Phils like the guy more than Gillies and Collier.

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          1. Gillies, IMO, will be gone in a packaged-trade at the deadline. All Ruben is hoping is he stays healthy and plays comparatively well to enhance his value.

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            1. If Gillies can stay healthy (and show that some of his speed and power tools are coming back) I would not want to trade him. If he can’t then he has no trade value. I like Gillies upside so much better than Revere (whom I do like). Revere’s ability to get on base will always be handicapped by his lack of power, Gillies possibly won’t have that handicap. I see Revere’s potential as a great fielding Juan Pierre .300/.340/.355 50 SB while Gillies upside is more like Shane Victorino .280/.355/.450 40 SB.

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            2. I should note that my desire not to trade Gillies is only increased because I am not a believer in Collier, Altherr, Hudson, James, et. al. On the other hand, I would be willing to trade Gillies dependent on what the return is.

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  27. just some thoughts:

    Roman Quinn to the Florida State League for his Age 20 season? The Phillies allowed Singleton to play in Clearwater as a 19 year old. Roman is still playing with the Reading spring training team and the date is March 20th.

    .282/.385/.411 = Singleton age 19
    .281/.370/.408 = Quinn’s age 19

    They’re going to be really aggressive with this kid.

    And he’s going to be pretty good.

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    1. I think the one big difference which, although i feel you have a sound theory, is that Quinn is learning to switch hit and i believe they will be more cautious because of that and the fact he is raw in a very demanding defensive position. Quinn will have much more value as a switch hitting SS so i think the Phils go conservative.

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    2. Singleton played a full season at Lakewood before advancing to Clearwater. There’s no reason Quinn shouldn’t do the same.

      That said, I’m very excited to see what he does there this season.

      Like

      1. This is Roman Quinn’s 3rd season in the organization. If he had signed early and played GCL in 2011, then it would not have fazed anyone if he played at Lakewood last year, and Clearwater this year. Playing High A isn’t out of line, for a top HS prospect his 3 year after signing.
        If he is showing in minor league camp, that he can play SS defensively, at a typical High A level, then they should challenge him. It’s not that big of a leap, for a player starting his 3rd year.

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        1. I hear you but, yeah, it’s a big leap from short season ball, especially for a player who is in a relatively new position (for him) and new to switch-hitting. If they start him at Clearwater it signals to me that he probably has serious star potential because, absent that, it would be ill-advised.

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    3. I totally didn’t expect Quinn to skip LWood but it looks like a possibility at this point. Points supporting it: The Phillies don’t really have anyone to play SS at CWater other than Carver or sending Abreu down plus they have Greene to play SS with Pullin at 2B if Quinn were to play up and they really like Mora and he could jump here as well. The downside obviously is that they don’t want Quinn to struggle and lose his confidence. Joe Jordan has been much more aggressive in his player placements than the previous regime so it certainly could happen. He has been playing with the Reading group everyday and apparently holding his own. We’ll know soon….

      Like

      1. True that CLW SS is wide open. I guess Phillies can adjust to either decision.
        Quinn starting in CLW would be quite aggressive and really dependent on his progress to date and his personality. Asche was agressively promoted but as a college player and with strong work ethic (so has been said) the organization felt he could handle it despite poor prior season and a position switch. If Quinn fails they could send him down to LKW and reshuffle the rosters.
        Quinn at LWK would be expected, hopefully he performs well and earns a quick promotion. If not, he is where he should be and can play out the season is a similar environment. I know it is obvious, but I think it is always better to be able to promote prospects rather than demote them. I think demotions are not only difficult for the player but also can affect other players concerned about poor performances leading to bad consequences. I guess it depends somewhat on each player.

        Phillies should talk with Quinn and let him know the plan. Maybe tell him that the Front Office wants to see him in CLW to start the season but is planning to have him in LWK for most of the season. That way Phillies have an ‘out’ if he is doing poorly. If he is doing great, then no reason to send him down.
        Greene and Pullin could start in LKW and if necessary the team would have to figure out what to do next. Pullin to go to Extended ST to work on defense some more then to WPT or they could have Greene move around the infield to find playing time.

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  28. Adam Morgan to start tomorrow’s game versus the Braves. This is what you call a very, very good sign for him. I’ll be excited to see how he does. I think it’s a foregone conclusion at this point that he starts the season at AAA–the only question is whether he’s the sixth starter, which depends I imagine on 1)Cook’s willingness to go to AAA; 2)Pettibone and Cloyd’s performance.

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    1. I’m very excited to see how he does as I’ll be at the game. If he does well, they may need to find a place for him in the LHV rotation.

      Like

  29. I have been to every minor game since Monday and I am at a loss as to why Tocci is in workout group 3. He has done nothing in the 4 days I have seen. He also looks like a little kid compared to the others. Thus far i just dont get it, but who am I. I just saw him completely overmatched at his last at bat

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      1. I don’t see where it’s most likely he plays at Williamsport. Since they cut Eldemire, and it’s pretty clear that Hudson will play CF in Clearwater, there is not a CF that is clearly in front of Tocci at the Lakewood level.
        I’d be surprised if he doesn’t go to Lakewood.

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        1. I figured Altherr would be the CF in CLW. But I could see Hudson and Pointer with some time there as well. Hudson has had 4 years to show anything at the plate and still nothing. As a great fielder with speed, a known slow development curve, and athleticism, there is no reason to cut him. But I see no reason to give him more time than any prospect with shown upside.

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          1. Clearwater OFs and DH: Altherr, Hudson, Dugan and Perkins.

            Lakewood OFs and DH: Larry Greene, Tocci, Pointer, Yon Olmo and Carmona.

            Unless they plan on playing Brian Pointer in CF full-time, or suddenly jumping Jonathan Knight or Jiandido Tromp over Tocci, then Tocci is clearly the Lakewood CF.

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            1. I have read at times the speculation that eventually Larry Greene will be at first base. I hope if that is truly the case,the Phillies do not wait until he is 22/23 years old to make the transistion.

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  30. Phillies hitting coach Steve Henderson on Roman Quinn:
    ‘Henderson said Quinn has a way to go, but his speed is something that makes him immediately exceptional. “He’s right up there,” Henderson said. “I remember seeing guys like Vince Coleman, and he’s like that. I remember when I got to the (Tampa Bay) Rays and Carl Crawford would hit a routine ground ball to second and nearly beat it out. I don’t think Carl can run that fast anymore, but he’s right up there with those guys.” “He’s a good athlete and a very intelligent person,” Henderson said. “He knows the game, and he’s still learning. We still need to get him to bunt, but he knows how to steal a base. He doesn’t just get to first base and take off. He knows when to go.” And when Roman Quinn decides to go, there aren’t many out there faster.

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  31. Just some notes on today’s A+ game at the complex: Serritella had a great day with a HR and double, he really has a nice swing. C. Perkins did well also with a double and a single, while Walding and Tocci went hitless even though Tocci was robbed by great play by the 2nd baseman on a ground ball up the middle in his last AB. Nick Hernandez started and went a good 3 innings giving up only one single, but I snuck a peak at the radar gun and he was only hitting 86 on his FB. Over at the A game I only saw Cozens hit twice but he hit a line drive single and blasted a triple over the CF head, plus he stole a base. Cozens looks like real good athlete with good baseball instincts. I have video of Hernandez from today and several hitters from Wednesday’s intrasquad games at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGkita

    Like

    2. There hasn’t been a lot of talk about Cozens on here since spring training began. Obviously guys like Quinn, Franco and Tocci have a chance to break out and become big-time prospects this season, so they deserve the attention, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Cozens develops into a serious power prospect this season. Let’s not forget he whas a two-sport high school guy with whom the Phils didn’t get a chance to have much instructional time with before throwing him out there in the GCL last season.

      Lakewood will be fun this year.

      Like

      1. Was at minor league Bp this morning. Cozens had the most power, by far, Tyson Gillies was second. Of the players I saw, L. Greene, Charles and Perkins all had good power too. Larry Greene is pudgy like Ryan Howard fo whatever that is worth.

        At the big league game now. Morgan is dealing big time. Curve (it might be a slide) is a swing and miss pitch. Fastball also generates misses. There is a ton to like about Morgan.

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    3. At the same game yesterday. Saw big Z Green blast a HR over center. He has a lot of pop in his bat. Curious go see what they do about 3rd at Lakewood. Also saw Cozens’ triple. He is just a beast of a
      kid. Watched a little of group 3 game,
      but nothing notable.

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  32. It looks like Michael Stutes made the Phillies decision easier last night. He will probably be sent to AAA(Allentown) and hopefully regain his effectiveness before injury.

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    1. That’s the difference between Aumont and Stutes. They are both wild, but when Aumont walks guys, he has the ability to get a ground ball or Strikeout the next few batters. Stutes is more likely to give up flyballs and line drives. His walks turn into 3 run HRs, and 3 run Triples.

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  33. I as stated before, am big stutes fan, but he needs to pitch in minors, to reagain some arm strength, and hopefull have some success, he needs to gain his confidence back and his arm strength.

    Like

  34. Morgan looked good today. He could be vying for a back-end of the rotation spot for sure in 2014. Of course, it also could be with another team after July.

    Like

  35. From Mike Newman’s prospect chat today:

    Quinn is one of his favorite non-top 100 prospects and can see him easily be top 100 by the end of the season.

    Calls the Phillies management of Brown the worst of any top prospect in recent memory.

    Had nice things to say about Singleton and Gose too.

    Like

  36. I thought Morgan gave up some hard hit balls in his first two innings- even the outs- lost his control a bit at times, hence the 3 walks, and made a mistake on the HR to Gattis. But he settled in and looked pretty good his last few innings.

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  37. Phillies option Darin Ruf to AAA. Defense was just not good enough. The Phillies could either keep Inciarte or have three middle infielders for a bit.

    Like

    2. Delmon playing now: Jim Salisbury CSN Reports on Friday:
      Delmon Young increased the intensity of his rehabilitation on Friday, and he did it with a bang. Young, recovering from offseason surgery on his right ankle, batted four times in a minor-league game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. He homered in his second at-bat against Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who started the minor-league game for the Jays. Young also flied out and grounded out twice in the game. The plan was for Young to be replaced by a pinch-runner if he got on base. He ran for himself, though, after hitting the home run in his second at-bat. “It took a while, but it was a lot of fun,” Young said.
      The decision to take some at-bats in the minor-league game was made Friday morning after Young arrived in the clubhouse and felt good after base-running exercises Thursday.

      Like

      1. I assumed Cook would be a part of the 5 man Iron Pig rotation, even with Lopez around. So far I got Pettibone, Martin, Cloyd and Cook as 4 of the 5.
        I guess Morgan may have pitched himself up to AAA today. The Phillies seemingly cut Rodrigo Lopez right after Adam Morgan left todays’ game.

        Like

        3. I think Morgan has always been ticketed for AAA. The Phillies have been more aggressive with pushing their top prospects up the ladder.

          Like

  39. By way of Baseball Ross, Sebastian Valle played LF in the AA game today. It seems to be mostly a shortage of OFs; Jiwan James had surgery the other day (not sure on what surgery and how long) and Dugan is banged up. But it is interesting none the less.

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  40. Minor league BP today was fun: Joseph started slowly but then hit several bombs out. Quinn looked great hitting lefty but then had a few bad rounds hitting righty, his normal side. Quinn looks much stronger than a year ago but still has the baby face. I watched group 4 the most. Charles is immense, plays first like Howard, and has good power. I don’t predict a major league career. Pullin looked very good at 2nd, Carver played at 2b the whole time, Numata has a great arm and quick release, Greene Jr has a short swing and generates great carry and power, Cozens looks like a beast of an athlete, he’s tall and strong but thin and his balls were flying out, Zack Green looks very impressive too with a great glove and bat. Walding looked good too. Great time after breakfast at Lenny’s!! Tomorrow will be fun with Doc pitching and press and officials expected everywhere.

    Like

    1. Murray I’m right with you on your observations. Impressed with Charles too. Green clearly looks ready for Lakewood. Are the Phil’s going to jump Walding to Clearwater? From the limited action I saw, Green’s glove seems better. Both have great swings. I’ve read that Green has a long swing. Either they have fixed it or it was never there to the extent it was talked about. Pullin looks ready for Lakewood and Cozens is just incredibly strong and very athletic. Lakewood is going to be fun to watch.

      Like

      1. The only way Green can start at Lakewood, is if they decide to play him at SS and push Quinn to Clearwater. Even in that scenario, Green has to beat out Tyler Greene for the SS spot at Lakewood.
        There is no way Walding plays at Clearwater. Franco is there. I see no spot for Green at Lakewood.

        Like

        1. Green is a 3b, SS is not an option. Phils are having roster meetings right now to resolve this stuff. I can’t see Walding going to CWater though so I’m not sure what they’ll do. I will say that I watched Harold Martinez and I think he could be released, he’s that bad. Franco had a nice hit to right though. In AA game, Altherr and Hudson looked overmatched and I watched Valle strike out too.

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          2. According to the blueclaws blog, Harold martinez is hitting the ball pretty consistently. In his last game, he had two hits-including a home run-for the double a team.

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          3. My guess is the 3B situation shakes out this way at the beginning of the year:

            LHV: Asche
            REA: Martinez
            CLW: Franco
            LKW: Walding
            WIL: Green

            If Franco starts strong at CLW and Martinez continues to struggle, maybe he gets a call-up mid season.

            Like

  41. Morgan looks like nice starting pitcher, has good stuff.nice offspeed stuff, kid could be up at mid season if we need him. like this kids makeup

    Like

  43. Halladay Update for Saturday 3/23/13:
    Halladay throws 82 pitches in four innings. Retired 7 of 18 hitters he faced but was aided by 3 DPs. Fastball at 86-89 mph. Hit 90 once.

    Like

    1. Ryan Lawrence@ryanlawrence21
      Halladay said wasn’t pitching for results today; stayed away from curve and change. Said stamina and strength were very good.

      Like

  44. Via BlueClaws Blog regarding the AAA game:

    “Biddle threw six shutout innings yesterday, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven. By my count he’s allowed one run in 13 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts so far. Remember, he’s gotten off to slow starts both with Lakewood and Clearwater. Maybe this year with Reading is the year he gets out of the gate strong and sets himself up much better for another great year.”

    Like

      1. I saw him too – he looks like an absolute stud. No longer a baby-faced kid, he’s now a strong, strapping man and he’s enormous. Probably 6’5″, 225 or 230 without a hint fat or flab. He looks like a studio model for superman.

        Like

    1. So easy for Galvis to go out to RF and make a nice little catch on a liner and throw into the plate. I wonder if he can pitch in a pinch! Él el hombre.

      Like

  46. After watching a brutal outing by Doc, I caught Austin Wright in the AA game and he looked sharp for the inning I saw. Also got my first glimpse of bonus baby Jose Pujols who has more size than Tocci , mostly in height he’s also slight in build, but seems to lack the presence of Tocci. Some of that could be due to the year difference in age. Both of these guys are in videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGkita

    Like

  47. I read in the paper today that a scout thinks the Phils can’t compete unless Doc regains his 2010 form. This is ridiculous! Doc’s not going to win the Cy Young this year, but I think he has the ability to give you solid production like Joe Blanton. We then have two aces in Hamels and Lee and two other solid pitchers in Kendrick and Lannan (who is pitching with a chip on his shoulder this year). So, even with a reinvented Doc, our starting rotation is above average. Then our bullpen looks above average, with Adams and Papelbon locking down the eigth and ninth and Durbin, Bastardo, and Horst providing solid middle relief. Aumont Is a guy who could come in and dominate, as well, although he is somewhat erratic. Our offense also looks above average, with Howard and Utley healthy, a hopefully rejuvenated Michael Young at third, Rollins at short, Dom in right, who is ready to break out, the pesky Revere in center and then hopefully Delmon Young in right (pushing Brown to left), which would give us a pretty good right-handed hitter with pop who has some upside left. I definitely think this team can compete, especially since there are now two wildcards.

    Like

    1. While all of that may be true, that’s a lot of “If’s” – I think what you’re describing there is an absolute best case scenario.

      Like

    2. He’s describing better than a best case scenario if he’s counting on good D with the two Youngs and Howard in the defense. Brown is likely to be just average this year, while both Rollins and Utley show a little more defensive fade. Revere likely is a defensive upgrade in CF, but that’s about it over last season.

      Like

    3. I agree except for the part about Delmon Young. I think the team needs Halladay to be better than he was last year if they’re really going to compete, but he doesn’t need to be the best pitcher in the league like he was in 2010. I for one am not exactly in awe of the Braves. While they could be very good, I think it’s possible that they win less games than they did last year.

      If Doc can pitch like a #3, which I’m actually not sure he can but we’ll see, then the rotation should still be really good. We all know what needs to happen as far as the health of the everyday players, but I think the lineup is above average when healthy.This team has more ifs than they have in the last year years, but I don’t think they have a lot more than most teams. Going into a season knowing you’re stacked everywhere isn’t the norm.

      Like

  48. One player who i dont understand,why people think he can help is durbin, if you dont have anyone in your system better than a durbin, then imo, your systems is really poor, i never liked durbin, if a stutes or defraus or aumont arent better than durbin, this team is in trouble.

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  49. Now that the Yuni question is answered the next shoe to drop is what to do with Ender. Nix hasn’t done much to make his case as the second half of a platoon until D. Young is ready. My guess is that decision isn’t made until Young is ready to come off the DL so Inciarte stays until then.

    And since Doc is going to get every opportunity to prove he can still pitch Cook makes the roster as a long man to insure Doc’s starts. I’m betting Doc doesn’t make it out if April without a stint on the DL and its even possible he doesn’t make it out of ST without going on the DL.

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  50. So, is Galvis still using, or did he eat/had sex with someone who ate tainted meat? (Believe me or not, but i actually sided with the latter suggestion, given trace amount of PEDs found in Galvis’ system.)

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  51. I noticed that Michael Schwimer is on the active roster for the Blue Jays. He may be starting the season with them.

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  52. Quick question: Does anyone know if Adrian Cardenas, ex-Phillies prospect is now out of baseball? He made his mlb debut last year with the Cubs but I can’t find any current info…

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